


Three Wishes

by ohnoshefell



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Eventual Arya Stark/Gendry Waters, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gendrya - Freeform, Humor, I'm Bad At Tagging, POV Gendry Waters, arya is a little cutie, gendry is our simple guy, gendrya gift exchange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:27:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21680923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohnoshefell/pseuds/ohnoshefell
Summary: Gendry has three wishes at his disposal, but meeting Arya Stark seems more like a miracle than that.
Relationships: Arya Stark & Gendry Waters, Arya Stark/Gendry Waters
Comments: 22
Kudos: 94





	Three Wishes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PsychVamp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychVamp/gifts).



> 'Three Wishes' prompt from the gendrya gift exchange on tumblr! There were a lot of different directions this fic was going to head in and maybe one day, I'll create those, but for now, here's this :)
> 
> This one's for you PsychVamp, you magic little light of life :) Hope this suffices whatever you had in mind for this and I am so terribly sorry it's literally at the very end and four days late at that but I hope you enjoy!!! :)

He had seen the ads everywhere, really. But it’s not as if anybody in their right mind would actually _pay_ for magic, right? At the very least, nobody he knew would. Although that’s mostly due in part to the fact that nobody he knew could afford it. He certainly couldn’t.

It’s why he was working this cushy job at an up class diner nearer to the capital than to his small one bedroom apartment in Flea Bottom. All his wages came hard earned and he couldn’t afford to think about spending any of his money on a three wish life line worth more than anything he’d earned all his life.

But here he was, cleaning up the mess Joffrey Baratheon had left behind at his dinner table with a less than generous tip. Although he figures the ‘three wish’ token he forgot on his table more than makes up for it.

Gendry Waters is no thief, he swears he’s not. It’s why he tells Mr.Mott about the token carelessly left behind. It’s why he emails ‘Baratheon Enterprises’ about the token left behind.

But fate must want him to have the token if Tobho said as much when he told Gendry he had three miracles in the form of one gold coin and all he needed to do was hand it in. Fate must have _really_ wanted him to have it after he received an email back from ‘Baratheon Enterprises’ telling him to piss off. He decides for just this once, he’ll agree with fate.

He goes home the next night and visits the website looking for where he might be able to cash in his token. He knew they were non-refundable, which was absolutely okay with him since he hadn’t even paid for one. But he doesn’t fight the sliver of doubt creeping its way up his spine. It’s not like these things actually worked, did they? He’d only ever heard of them working, but Gendry was a firm in his truths of ‘seeing is believing’.

The browser opens and the website is an alluring mix of purple and blue, with it reading in swirly font:

Three Wish World! Making the impossible possible, three wishes at a time!

He lets out a breath and shakes his head before scrolling further down the website, finding a phone number and then dialing away.

“Three wish world! Making the impossible possible, three wishes at a time, Wylla Manderly speaking, how can I help you?”

“Yeah, uh, hi Ms.Manderly,” he pauses for a moment, unsure of what to say next before settling with his next few words,”I have a token for three wishes and was just wondering if I’d be able to cash it in?”

“Of course! You’ll get three wishes in exchange!” She says excitedly from her end of the line.

He doesn’t really know where to go from here, but he figures he has three wishes and he could do some good with three wishes, assuming they actually work.

“Where can I cash it in?”

“What’s your location sir?”

“Flea Bottom.” He says it without hesitation. He’d never be ashamed of where he’s from.

“Mhm. Give me one moment.”

The music played while he’s on hold is sort of mesmerizing and leaves his head lulling a bit before Wylla’s voice is speaking through his phone again.

“Alright, and what is your name sir?”

“Gendry Waters.”

“Alright, well Mr.Waters, the location nearest to you is in Red Keep, Kings Landing. But I’m afraid they’ve been closed as of recent for renovations.”

Gendry closes his eyes. He should’ve expected this really. He should’ve known better. The gods spoiling him? Unlikely. More so would be them offering him something that might actually help him get where he wants to go before taking it all back. He was a bastard. Good things don’t happen to bastards and he was a fool to even think for a minute that they did.

He’s snapped out of his spiral of self pity by Wylla’s voice on the line,”There is, however, another location, in the Riverlands. Acorn Hall, I believe. You would just have to take an overnight train.”

Gendry blinks a few times, unprepared to actually get what he wants.

“Really?” His voice is a little breathless and completely laced in disbelief.

Wylla laughs lightly on the other end, “Yes, really. With ‘Three Wishes’, we can make accommodations for a train ride and stay at an inn for remarkable prices.”

“Yeah, yeah. That sounds great.” Gendry smiled a small smile to himself and after speaking more with Wylla and making his arrangements, he feels his stomach flutter.

“Perfect! Acorn Hall will be expecting you soon, Mr. Waters! Have a great rest of your day and I hope all your wishes come true!”

Gendry doesn’t hide the smile in his voice, “Thank you, Ms.Manderly. Have a good rest of your day as well.”

He couldn’t believe it. He was actually going to get three wishes. He could get all he ever wanted.

All too soon it hits him. Seven hells, he doesn’t know anything! He doesn’t know what he wants!

He doesn’t know what to wish for, what he’d even _want_ to wish for, but he’d do some good to figure it out.

* * *

He asked Tobho for the week off, all those months of saving sick hours and vacation days finally being put to good use. Tobho, who was more than fond of his bus boy, happily gave him the week off, urging him to put his wishes to good use.

He packs himself a suitcase and dips a little into his rainy day jar and heads off to take a train to where the rest of his life would change and he can’t say he’s all that ready for it.

Had he not only been waiting tables just days ago? Had he not only been cleaning up dirty dishes left behind by Joffrey Baratheon and whatever Lannister Militia accompanied him?

It felt a little too good to be true, but he would indulge himself, he would let himself bask in this temporary victory of winning more than he’d known he had been playing for.

He’d thank the gods if he were religious. He’d thank Joffrey Baratheon if he weren’t such a prick. He’d have to settle for thanking fate.

* * *

He’d never been to Kings Landing Central Station before, needless to say it left him stunned with the hurried masses of people heading from this track to the next and the endless rows of express cafes and gift shops to buy trinkets and neck pillows.

But he’s not here to see everybody else get from point A to point B. He’s here to catch his train to Acorn Hall.

After getting to his platform and boarding his train (which happened to have more passengers than he had been anticipating), he looks for a seat and finally finds one next to a girl whose head was buried in a book and had her headphones in. She doesn’t seem all that bothered by the addition of new company so he smiles gratefully to himself for that, glad he wasn’t going to spend an awkward and tense overnight train ride with a complete stranger.

He puts his own headphones in and lets his music and the gentle, steady rhythm of the train ride lull him to sleep.

It’s dreamless and calming and it’s nice until he feels something cold in his hand and a bag of something hit his stomach.

He blinks his eyes awake and sees a bottle of water in his right hand and a bag of ‘Rabbit’s Foot graham crackers’ on his abdomen. He looks to his right and is met with the sight of the girl next to him eating her own bag of graham crackers.

She turns her head and meets his gaze, “I went to the concessions cart. Your stomach was rumbling, figured you might like a snack or something,” She hesitates for a moment, “I’m Arya.”

Her voice was like a river, flowing smoothly and rippling softly with every word she spoke and he thinks he’d like to hear her speak forever. Her eyes were absolutely spellbinding, silver and wide with all the answers to every question he didn’t know he wanted to ask. “Arya,” he tests it out and she nods at him. He smiles after a moment, “Thank you. I’m Gendry.”

She smiles and if he thought she was beautiful before, he doesn’t have a word good enough for whatever she is now. Extraordinary? Stunning? Ethereal? Nothing seems to suffice.

“Not a problem. Are you headed all the way to Acorn Hall?”

He nods and without thinking, pulls out his ‘three wishes’ token from his pocket.

She just stares at it, eyes wide and alight with wonder. “Wicked. Thought of what you’re going to wish for?”

It was nice, a relief sort of that she had asked him what _he_ was going to wish for. Anytime anyone this past week had brought up the token, they’d usually had an ulterior motive of getting Gendry to try and use one of his wishes on them.

Gendry wasn’t a selfish person. In fact, most of his life had been spent with him giving and giving and giving, never once taking anything for himself. He felt it was completely alright that he was indulging himself just this once.

He nods at her again, “Sort of.”

She snorts, “What does sort of mean?”

“Well, I don’t know how to word it in a way for wishing.”

Arya nods and her eyebrows furrowed together, “Hmm.” She taps a finger on her chin before she clasps her hands together in her lap, “Well start easy then. What do you want?”

He looks at her, really looks at her. She was pretty, she was nice, she knew absolutely nothing about him but she was talking to him like they’d spent years together all the same. He figures if she’s this easy to speak to after only minutes of knowing each other, he has no problem opening up to her.

“Well, I want to be able to afford school.”

Arya smiles and somehow he knew to expect it. She didn’t seem like the type of person to hold money against someone, she bought him graham crackers after all.

“Nice. What do you want to study?”

“Architecture. I want to be an architect.” It’s the first time he’s ever said it out loud in years and to someone else. The last person who knew that was his mother and she’s gone now.

“Why don’t you just wish to become an architect then?”

He shakes his head, “Feels like cheating.”

Arya just looks at him a little stunned, “That’s one strong moral compass you’ve got there.”

He laughs and just shrugs sheepishly, “I guess. I’ve just always been taught to never do anything halfway.”

She stays eyeing him, a little amused before shaking her head and then shooting him a small smile.

“What else do you want?”

The more he thinks on it, the less he knows but it lets him truly understand the perplexity of his dilemma. Growing up and doing everything to survive, he never really had the luxury of wanting things, the comfort of thinking up a list of all the things he desired.

“Haven’t really thought about it, if I’m being honest.”

Arya’s face scrunches up, “Huh.”

“What?”

“Well, nothing, just. Most people that buy three wish tokens already know what they’re going to wish for-”

“I didn’t buy it,” her eyes widen before he’s speaking again, “I found it.”

“Wow.”

He nods, “Yeah.”

"Where?"

"Tobho's Diner off in-"

"Kings Landing! My brother orders delivery from there all the time!" 

Gendry smiled at the excitement in her voice, "Yeah? That's where I work."

Arya's eyebrows shot up, "Huh. Small world."

Gendry nodded in agreement.

“Wonder who’d be dumb enough to lose a three wish token.” she says aloud.

“Joffrey Baratheon.” He answers and she makes a look of disgust, prompting him to laugh and nod sheepishly in agreement, glad to know they share a mutual distaste of that lousy prick.

She sits up a little straighter and turns to face him more, “So, none of the run of the mill wishes then?”

His brows furrow, “run of the mill wishes?”

She nods happily, “Yeah! You know! Like eternal fame and glory, everlasting youth, finding your one true love, never ending riches, resurrection? Oh! And wishing for more wishes.”

He stares at her a little shocked and very entertained, “I don’t think I can wish for more wishes, can I?”

“Who says you can’t?”

“Every movie involving a benevolent wish granting being.” Gendry says, matter of factually. 

“Ah yes, but we’re not in a movie, are we?” Arya smiles at him excitedly.

He shakes his head and laughs, “We? Are you tagging along then?”

Her smile becomes a little small, but it’s still there, “Yeah, I mean, if you want me to. I’m already headed to Acorn Hall just to visit.”

He smiles at her and after staring at her for a moment, he decides that whatever he might wish for later won’t be nearly half as good as becoming her friend.

He nods at her, “I want you to.”

Her smile grows again, “Great! Now let’s figure out what you want to wish for.”

* * *

Among trying to figure out what he might want to wish for with Arya halfway through the train ride, they also get to know one another.

She has three older siblings and 2 younger ones and most of them, including herself, all lived in Kings Landing. They all established themselves and seem to enjoy staying within distance of each other, in order to slip into each other's lives more easily, he learned. Her parents stayed back in Winterfell, where he learned she was from and where her childhood home and two baby brothers were.

She shared an apartment with her brother, Jon, who she told him was her favorite person of all time. She was also taking a year off before starting school, where she would pursue botany and he couldn't help but wonder exactly how much there was to know about her.

She liked to travel a lot, it seemed. And from the stories she had told him of going through a lot of the parts of the continent, she always had a reason for visiting each place she visited.

"What are you headed to Acorn Hall for, then?" 

She looked at him carefully before deciding to divulge him in the truth of her journey.

"I've always wanted to go. It's near Riverrun, which is where my mother's from and her side of the family live. But mostly because of Acorn Hall itself. I hear there's a family there that runs an inn, the Smallwoods. Apparently they're unbelievably kind to all sorts of travelers-"

"Oh no way! I'm staying at their inn!" Gendry couldn't help the rush of excitement that flooded through his systems and took over his body at her words.

Arya smiled at him, "I think the gods are smiling down upon us, my friend."

Gendry shook his head, a small laugh escaping his lips, "The Smallwoods can't be the only reason that you're going to Acorn Hall though."

Arya rolled her eyes, "They're not. Like I said, I've always wanted to go to Acorn Hall. Plus there's a giant oak tree there that my brother Bran heard all about from a family friend, he loves trees and so do I because botany, and he also doesn't get out much. I'm hoping if I get some sick pics of this oak tree, he'll be convinced to travel with me and Jon over the summer."

Gendry smiled at the sentiment and he could tell just how close she was to her family. He didn't have that, he didn't have anybody to take pictures of trees for, he didn't have anybody to convince to come visit him over the summer. It was just him.

Maybe he'd wish for that. For someone else to feel sorry for him besides himself.

He shakes the thought away as soon as it enters his mind. He doesn't need anybody feeling sorry for him, least of all a person he'd have to wish for.

"That sounds nice." He turned his attention completely back to Arya, forcing away any thoughts of wishes going to waste.

Arya nods at him and smiles, "It is. What about you?"

Gendry looked at her a little confused and she rolled her eyes and laughed.

"What _about_ me?"

"Do you have any siblings?"

Realization dawns on his features before he shakes his head.

"None that I know of. It had always been just me and mum, before she passed."

Arya's eyebrows scrunch together, her face harder than he was used to seeing it these last few hours.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

He smiles at her and it instantly causes her features to relax.

"It's alright. Can't imagine what having siblings must be like anyways."

"Hectic. But anything's possible." She says after a beat and he lets out a laugh.

"Yeah. I guess so. Especially with three wishes."

Arya smiles at him, "Definitely."

* * *

Arriving at the train station in Acorn Hall leaves him a little bit in a haze.

He hadn't imagined actually getting this far, much less with a new friend attached at his hip.

"Which do you want to do first? Check in at the inn or head to Three Wishes?"

The sound of Arya's voice snapped him out of looking around the train station which seemed a lot cozier than the one in Kings Landing. He liked it.

He looks over at Arya and immediately cuts his gaze downward. Had she really been this short?

"We can check into the inn first."

Arya smiles up at him and nods her head in agreement, the entire act sending his stomach into a fit and flurry of butterflies fluttering about everywhere.

He found it was quite strange. He had only met her a little over six hours ago and already they were such fast friends. What were the chances that the girl he ended up sitting next to would be getting off at the last stop of Acorn Hall as him? What were the chances that she was staying at the same inn as him as well? It makes him believe a little more in magic and a little more in divine intervention. If there were ever an instance where those two things could be deemed, it was this one hands down.

He had never bonded with someone so quickly before and he had never felt so comfortable around someone he just met either. 

He thinks a lot of it might have to do with the three wishes wish token and he's really grateful to fate now more than ever.

If he hadn't found this token, he doesn't know if he would have ever met Arya.

He was so lost in his own thoughts, he hadn't realized that they had stopped in front of a car rental kiosk.

He looked to his left, where Arya was getting her card out and handing it to the clerk behind the counter in front of them to charge her for the one week rental of a silver honda civic.

She turned to look up at Gendry, who had still been gazing down at her.

She smiled up at him, a sight he was beginning to realize he liked a lot.

"What?"

A small smile pulled at his lips, "Nothing. You ready?"

The clerk clears his throat and hands Arya her card back, the insurance papers for the civic as well as the car keys that went with it.

"Thank you." She smiles at the clerk who nods with pink cheeks before she turns to answer Gendry's question.

"Absolutely."

* * *

He's not so sure who she heard it from, but he contends with the rumors and talk that the Smallwood's were absolutely wonderful, kind and pleasant people.

Upon their arrival at the inn, which was grey and stony with brown wooden fixtures adorning the front, they'd grabbed their individual suitcases and headed to the front door of the inn, which was lead by a porch and porch swings on either side. Trees were surrounding it all over, like a scene out of a story book and he felt the magic pulsing through the air and absolutely none of the credit for it went to the token in his pocket.

This magic was all natural. It was earth and love and home and warmth.

It was almost overwhelming and nearly dizzied him and his senses, but Arya's presence by his side anchored him to the ground and confirmed it was a reality.

The lavender and orange hue of the sky, the pine cones littered across the grass, the smell of flowers everywhere and acorns scattered about the cobblestone ground that he and Arya stood on.

They'd entered together, so he couldn't exactly blame them for thinking they had a room with each other or at the very least, near each other.

When Mrs.Smallwood gave Gendry and Arya their separate keys to their rooms, not before shooting a glance with something in her eyes he couldn't read and a small on her lips, he and Arya turned towards one another.

"Do you want to meet out here after we get our things settled in our rooms?" He asked her and she was clearly surprised at his initiation of the plans.

Arya nodded up at him, "Yeah, that's cool. Down here in lets say, 15 minutes?" 

He nods and they part ways, each of them heading upstairs before heading towards opposite directions of the hall.

Being on the same floor as Arya was good but he thinks having a room all the way at the other end of hers was even better.

He'd only known her seven hours and already she had him feeling lightheaded and giddy and for what reasons? He's not sure.

After he arrives at the end of the hall, he opens the door to his room after twisting the key in the lock and he walks in and immediately feels the thrum of his heartbeat finally settle into a steady rhythm in his chest.

The first thing he notices after he closes the door and sets his things down by the bed is the soft, warm glow of the setting sun pouring into the room through the window, providing him with the most breathtaking view of trees turning from green to orange to red that all seemed to go on for infinity.

Even if he didn't get three wishes at the end of all of this or even one, this view alone and Arya talking his ear off in the train and car rides respectively were enough to make him glad he made this trip at all in the first place.

Quickly remembering himself and all that he has to do today, he uses the bathroom in his room before he rummages through his travel bag for his wallet, phone and he double checks that he has the token in his pocket. After looking back at everything, he grabs the key to his hotel room from where he set them down on the table by the bed and locks up behind him after he leaves.

It seems fate must have had a blast intervening because Arya appeared at the opposite end of the hallway as well.

They walk towards one another, meeting at the juncture of the staircase and Arya just smiles up at him.

"Long time no see stranger."

"I know, how you managed to survive those ten minutes without me, I'm not sure. But worry not, I'm here to put you out of your misery, m'lady."

Arya gave Gendry a funny look, amusement dancing around in her eyes, "I think Acorn Hall has made you a bit silly there." Arya ruffles his head which requires her to stand on her tiptoes, pulling a laugh from Gendry.

"Shall we?" He asks.

She gestures towards the staircase, "After you, good sir."

* * *

Promises were made to the Smallwood's that they'd return to the inn at a reasonable hour and it almost made them feel more like their kids than their guests, but they appreciated the gesture nonetheless and it made Gendry feel warm and fuzzy and kind of like he was missing something he hadn't known he wanted.

Arya let him drive the civic around into town, seeing as it was _his_ journey they were going on, and they seemed to drive through trees and the endless rows of nature for a couple of minutes before they were driving into more of a town square with little shops set up all around.

People selling handcrafted jewelry, candy apples on a stick, small boutiques each filled with antiques and trinkets and clothing alike. A metal shop, filled to the brim with the endless variety of creations made of metal, all of which seemed to peak his and Arya's interest as they drove past it. It seemed like the town square of Acorn Hall had something for everyone.

"Oh! There it is, right there!" Arya pointed towards Gendry's left, and sure enough, there it was small but bright and a little more homier than he'd been expecting 'Three Wish' to be.

After he found a parking spot, he and Arya got out of the car and started walking across the street towards the small building that had been surrounded by outgrown vines and had little trees adorning the small patch of land that accompanied the building on the sidewalk.

"How're you holding up over there?" Arya asked from beside him and he shot her quick smile that he tried to convey practical ease in but probably only came across as hopeless and complete terrified.

"Hey, it's okay! If this place seems dodgy or scares you or makes you feel any kind of pressure we can always hit dodge and speed it back to the Smallwood's and check out that giant tree I was talking about."

Her soft words helped put his mind a little at ease, but it didn't stop the electricity from pulsing through his veins after she gently grabbed onto his arm and pulled him forward as they made a stop in front of the building.

"I can wait outside if you want."

He shot her a look of derision, "Are you insane? You're coming with me."

A giant grin took over her features and a new sparkle was found in her sterling eyes, "I like you. I've only known you like 7 and a half hours, but I like you."

He smiled back at her and they walked into the building, arms linked together.

* * *

The room felt sort of mystical, almost like if he looked away, the entire place would be gone in the blink of an eye. Kind of like if he left there today and came back only to find it never existed, he would believe it.

There were purple and blue curtains draping across the window and he thinks if the sun had been rising instead of setting, the light would filter through the shades and would only further amplify the hypnotic allure of this place.

There were round tables set up near the windows with crystallized lamps sat on top of them and he thought it all looked like a movie come to life. 

It smelled flowery and kind of like he existed in a time way before him.

There were only a few other patrons in the shop apart from him and Arya.

"Wow." Arya breathed out from beside him and he couldn't help but to agree with her sentiments.

"My thoughts exactly." 

Arya let out a small, breathy laugh and he smiled at her.

"Where do you think we should-" Her question was cut short by the arrival of a group of men standing in front of them.

He really thought he must have been losing it at the sight of the four men that stopped in front of him and Arya.

One of them sported a man bun and when he smiled, it appeared he was missing a tooth. Another had cropped hair and he appeared slightly more put together than the first man apart from the eye patch he was sporting.

The other man behind him looked like your every day guy, if your every day guy walked around with a bow and arrow slung across his back casually. The last man seemed the strangest and somehow the most normal, with a belt of blades tied around his waist while he hummed a tune beneath his breath.

"Uhhh," He didn't really know where he wanted to go with this sentence but it seemed like nowhere.

"You must be Gendry!" The first man clapped him on the shoulder and Gendry only looked at him before looking at Arya who only shrugged her shoulders.

He narrowed his eyes at her. _Great help you are, little missy._

"Wylla rang us a week ago, told us what we'd be expecting. I'm Thoros."

Gendry nodded and looked at the next in line.

"Beric." He saluted.

"Anguy." He smiled.

"Tom." He sang.

"Right. Good to meet you all." He nodded his head after having been momentarily stunned by the group of men.

Did it really take a brotherhood to grant him three wishes?

He hadn't noticed that they all directed their gazes at Arya until she spoke.

"What?"

They stared at her expectantly and she rolled her eyes before relenting.

"I'm Arya."

"Lovely. Wylla hadn't mentioned company on the phone."

"That's cause we just met. Is there a problem?" Arya measured her voice and straightened her shoulders out and if he hadn't spent the last eight hours getting to know her, he might have been a little scared of her.

"None at all, lass. Fiesty, this one." Beric stuck his thumb out at her and she just snorted.

"So how exactly does this work?" Gendry asked, diverting the conversation away from Arya's temper.

Thoros looks between Arya and Gendry a couple of times before he settles back on Gendry.

"Well, first we take you to one of the private rooms, then we give you a rundown of all the rules and basics when making wishes and lastly we set you up with granting your first wish and from then on, you can grant the other three on your own."

Gendry's face scrunched up, "What do you mean?"

Thoros' features perked up, a sign that no one had ever bothered to ask questions when making wishes before.

"Well, you'll need us to help you make your first wish. It's how the token gets activated. But after that, you can make your last two wishes either with us or completely on you on, whenever from wherever. All you'd need to do is have the token on your person and start off your wish with 'I wish' and you'd be all set to making wishes on your own. Sound clear?"

Gendry nodded his head.

"Crystal."

* * *

He was mentally preparing himself to make his wishes. What had his first wish been anyways? It's all become a bit fuzzy since he and Arya had gotten here, his mind completely blurring the lines between what was really happening and what he couldn't help but think he was imagining.

"I'll be right out here, alright? Sitting at one of those really trippy tables looking out the window like I'm in some movie, okay?" Arya squeezed his shoulder and he nodded his head at her.

"And remember, if it doesn't go like you expect, we've got a really big oak tree we're going to look at after this, okay?" Arya's smile was warm and it made him feel safe and like whatever was going to happen in the next room was less intimidating than it actually was.

"Okay. See you in a bit."

"See you in a bit."

Thoros and Beric cleared their throats from beside him and he smiled at Arya one last time before following them down a narrow hall where all the private rooms were. Tom and Anguy had stayed behind and sat around one of the small tables by the windows with Arya.

The room they entered, much like the rest of 'Three Wishes' was enchanting and had an air that had him under some kind of spell.

He took out his wallet and pulled the token out, golden and glittering and all things magic.

He stared at it a bit before looking up at Thoros and Beric's lingering eyes and handing it over to them.

Each of them hold onto one end of the coin which would've made Gendry laugh with how close together their fingers were if they weren't muttering some words between them all while keeping their gazes locked on the token.

After a minute of their chanting, calling out seven people, he's not sure who, the token almost illuminates in their hands from how bright it seemed to shine.

Both Thoros and Beric smile down at the token before turning to look at Gendry, whose face looked like one giant question mark.

"What's your first wish then son?"

It's like everything he and Arya spoke about on the train and in the hotel and on the car ride went out the window and his mind was only circling with the one thought of wishing he still had family the way it seemed Arya had all of hers.

Gendry thinks about his mom and how he misses her more than anything and he wants her back. But he's seen how these things work in movies, in fiction. Bringing back the dead wasn't allowed.

"I- you can't bring someone back to life can you?"

Thoros smiles cheerfully at Beric before turning back to Gendry. "Actually, we _can_ bring someone back to life. Only it won't be the same. And there are some other things too."

Gendry's face scrunched up in confusion, "How won't it be the same? And what other things are there?"

"Well, it's more like reanimation. If they died unjustly or didn't complete their life's goal, we can bring them back. It'll just be a more intense version of that person. For them, it'll be less about being back and more about completing what they were meant to do."

Gendry nods in understanding before Beric begins talking.

"As for the other things, well. The body has to be freshly dead. Can't bring back anybody who has been dead more than a week assuming the body's been kept in the right condition."

Gendry knows now it won't happen. His mother died years ago. He's sort of thankful that it can't happen anyways. He wouldn't want his mother to come back if it wasn't her and just some zombified, ambitious version of herself. She would hate him if he tried anyways.

"Is that the wish you have on your mind, lad?"

Gendry shakes his head immediately when Beric's voice pulls him back to reality and he tries to gather his thoughts and remember what he spoke about with Arya.

"No. That's not it. I want to wish to be able to afford school."

Thoros' face hardened and Beric bit back a smile.

"School? You want to go to school?"

Gendry nodded his head and narrowed his eyes at the confusion in Thoros' voice.

"What do you want to go to school for?"

"To become an architect."

"Why don't you just wish to be an architect?"

"Why does everyone ask that?"

"Well maybe because-"

"Alright enough the two of you," Beric cut in, glaring at Thoros with his one eye, "It's not our job to judge wishes, only grant them." He admonished Thoros, who only rolled his eyes.

"So how does this work?" Gendry asked, prompting Thoros to roll his eyes again.

"You keep on doing that, they'll get stuck in the back of your head." Beric chastised him.

"Oh yeah, how would you know that?"

"Why do you think I have one eye?" Beric joked.

"Tight ship they run here at 'Three Wishes'. Real nice." Gendry spoke sarcastically.

"Alright, alright. Come here." Gendry walked forward to where Beric gestured.

"Hold the token." 

Gendry did as he was told.

"And say 'you wish...' and then speak your wish."

Gendry nodded and immediately the room grew a bit more tense, a bit more serious.

"I wish I could afford to obtain a bachelor's degree in architecture at Kings Landing University." 

As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt a tingling in the air and if the he hadn't been staring so hard at the token in his hand, he would've sworn it was fizzling out of existence from how much the vibrations being sent through it were shocking him, leaving him utterly speechless.

The illumination of the token earlier was nothing compared to how brightly it glowed in his hand at that moment and then all at once it stopped.

The fizzling, the vibration, the illumination. 

He looked at the face of the token and watched as it changed from '3' to '2'.

He felt winded and all he had done was stood there.

He looked between Thoros and Beric who were staring at him, equal grins of satisfaction plastered on both their faces.

"Is that it then?"

Thoros nodded, "Check your next bank statement and tell us if that's it then. And maybe call the University of Kings Landing-"

"Kings Landing University." Gendry corrected.

"Whatever. Call them and see if you're enrolled."

Truth be told, he hadn't needed to call them. He'd gotten into their school when he applied three years ago, it was all a matter of cost. Now that was out of the way. 

Now he could go.

"Thank you." He smiled at them.

"Don't thank us, thank the magic." Beric said wistfully.

"The magic wouldn't have been possible if you two hadn't been there to provide it. Thank you."

Thoros smiled, "Anytime. What are your other two wishes?"

Gendry shrugged, "Haven't a clue."

"Ah. All the same. You know how to make a wish now. The magic is in the token so don't waste it."

He nodded. 

He could use them whenever he wanted to use them, whenever he was ready to use them.

Today didn't seem that scary now that he got one wish out of the way.

And now he was going to get to look at a giant oak tree with Arya.

Today actually seemed alright.

* * *

Arya was up and out of her seat the instant Gendry came into sight.

"Did it work?" She asked excitedly and Gendry nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Oh, that's wonderful! You're going to go to school! I'm so excited for you!" Arya threw her arms around Gendry and he caught her in his own, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to him.

He hadn't been expecting a hug, especially from her and maybe he thinks that making wishes isn't as scary as it seems if Arya hugs him at the end.

She pulls away and looks up at him, "Ready to go sightseeing, you little scholar?"

Gendry laughed lightly before nodding his head at her.

Arya turned to Anguy and Tom, "Nice meeting you two!"

"You as well!" Tom sang and Anguy only smiled in their direction.

Thoros and Beric appeared from the back and Gendry waved in their direction, "Thanks for everything again."

Beric shook his head, "No trouble at all."

And with that, they were off.

He couldn't really explain why he felt lighter after leaving 'Three Wishes' but he did. He felt like the world was a cloud and he was floating above it, Arya anchored by his side.

He got a wish, had two wishes left and now got to spend the rest of this week enjoying his time in Acorn Hall, free of taking orders from anybody who treated waiting staff terribly. He briefly thought of Tobho and hoped he was holding up fine with just Lommy and Hot Pie by his side.

"Ready to see this giant ass tree?" Arya spoke as they stopped in front of the car.

He smiled over at her and walked around to the other side of the car to sit in the passengers seat.

Arya closed the door on the drivers side and started up the engine.

"Duh. It's all you can seem to talk about it seems."

Arya narrowed her eyes at him before her features softened and she smiled, "It's amazing, that's why. Now lets go."

* * *

The drive to the park that housed the oak tree was nice and calm and eerily too comfortable for Gendry, mostly because he wondered if it was normal to be so relaxed around someone you'd only just met that same day.

The walk through the park and up the small hill was equal measures of quiet and serene and Gendry used that time to gather his thoughts on everything that had happened to him in the last week. 

He made a mental note to be sure to call Wylla from 'Three Wish World' for setting him up and directing him to Acorn Hall. He probably wouldn't have met Arya if she hadn't.

He stops walking when he notices he's about to run right into Arya's backside. He backs up a little and stares at what seemed to captivate Arya's attention and he can decidedly say that the oak tree _was_ in fact a giant ass oak tree and that it looked like no other tree he had seen before.

Much like the Smallwood's inn, the giant oak tree had acorns scattered all about at the base of it, with a plethora of orange leaves leaving the tree looking full and warm and like an autumn dream. 

"Wow." He breathed and he saw Arya nod her head.

"Yeah, wow."

He walks forward to stand beside her. He looks down and sees the pure awe in her gaze and the magic in her smile as she stares upon the tree in front of them.

"Is it what you imagined?"

She shakes her head from side to side, "Not at all. It's better." 

She walks forward and moves to put her hand against the tree trunk for a brief minute before she plops herself down, legs sprawled out in front of her at the base of the tree. He walks up to join her.

"So why trees?"

Arya looked over at him while the gears turn in her head as to how she would answer his question.

"My brother Bran and I used to climb trees together all the time. It was his favorite thing to do before he fell and lost function in his legs."

Gendry's face hardened, "I'm sorry to hear that."

Arya sends a smile Gendry's way, "Thanks, there's no need to be. It was really hard at first, but he's tough as nails. If anybody could've gotten through that it was him. But it did sort of affect how much he could climb trees. Now he reads up on all of them, sketches them, anything really. He's appreciating them the best way he can without climbing them."

Gendry nods and gives Arya what he hopes is a reassuring smile, "Well it's pretty awesome of you to check this out for him. I'm sure he'll definitely want to come with how beautiful this oak tree is." 

"Yeah, me too."

* * *

The rest of his time in Acorn Hall was spent with him sight seeing and exploring the small and cozy town that felt like home away from home.

It was also spent with him and Arya getting to know one another better than they already had the first day.

He was thankful he had asked for the week off and that Tobho was more than willing to give it to him. This small little trip held grand plans for him and inspired a new love of travel in him that he didn't see dying down anytime soon.

The week seemed to go as slow as he wanted it to, but all the same, it had come to an end far too soon. 

Arya, who was staying in Acorn Hall for a few days longer than he was, had driven him to the train station, where she helped him make sure he got on the right train and where they exchanged numbers and made promises of keeping in touch. 

He sort of felt a wave of melancholy and he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because the past week had seemed a little unreal, had been an absolute dream and now it had come to an end and he was heading back to reality. 

Maybe it was because he got his first wish but he still didn't have a clue what to use his last two wishes on.

Or maybe it was because he didn't know when he'd see Arya again, if he ever would that is. All he knew was that she was the fastest friend he had ever made and for now, he would have to rest with knowing that the only way to reach her would be through text.

He'd put all that to the back of his mind for the time being though. Right now, he had to focus on refilling the application for fall classes next fall at Kings Landing University.

* * *

He really didn't know what he had been expecting when he got back home. Maybe a consistent flow of conversation and not just the 'let me know when your train gets back!' message, but all the same, he was looking for reasons to message Arya.

He didn't know why he couldn't get her out of his mind, but he knew it was a great deal to do with him having spent the best week he's ever had in quite a long time with her.

It's all he thinks about when he's working and when he almost runs into Tobho with a bin full of dirty dishes.

"Woah, easy there, son."

Gendry shrugs sheepishly, "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

"Yeah no kidding." Tobho laughed, before his expression grew more serious, "Listen Gendry, I've been meaning to speak with you. I'm going to have to cut some of your hours for next week, is that alright?"

Gendry's brows furrowed, "Yeah that's fine, but how come?"

Tobho rubbed the back of his neck a bit before he met Gendry's hard gaze, "Mortgage on the diner has gone up and I'm barely making it by the skin of my teeth."

Gendry's eyes widened, "What?"

Tobho nodded, a sort of sad expression crossing his features, "Yeah. It's those money sharks, Lannister co. Business is more than fine and you know our regulars. It's just a matter of ownership and the Lannister's have no problem waving it in my face."

Gendry's expression softened, "How much would it cost to own the building?"

Tobho's expression perked up, "Way too much, Gendry. I just wanted to touch base with you so you don't think I'm laying you off for no good reason."

Gendry shook his head, "It's no problem. It's your diner and it should be your diner in every meaning of those words."

Tobho shot Gendry a sad smile, "Life doesn't always go the way you want it to," Tobho quickly sobered up, "Now back to work."

* * *

A few short hours later after his shift ended and he had gone home, winded down and took a shower, Gendry went straight to his room after putting on pajamas and pulled the token out of his wallet and holding onto it tightly.

He wasn't stupid, he knew what three wishes were worth, now two.

But he also knew that he had no idea what else he wanted to wish for, what else he _needed_ to wish for. 

He didn't care much for wishing up all the luxury items he sees people like the Baratheon's and the Lannister's parading around. He didn't care much at all for materialistic things. He just wanted to be able to get wherever he needed to go.

So for him, it made absolute perfect sense to use this next wish on someone else entirely not himself.

He looked at the token in his hand and sat on his bed. He knew what he had to do, he just hoped it would work the way Thoros and Beric said it would.

He took a few deep breaths in before closing his eyes and holding on tightly to his token.

"I wish Tobho had complete and total ownership of his diner, free of paying mortgages."

He felt all the things he felt when he made his first wish only this time he felt a little better. He felt happy. He felt like he did something right. This was even better than wishing for school. This was helping someone else.

He watched as the '2' on the face of the token became a '1' and he put it back in his wallet.

Someone who had let Gendry sleep on his couch until he had saved up enough to afford living in his one bedroom apartment. Someone who gave him a job because he knew he needed it. 

Someone who didn't ask for a wish when he found out Gendry had a token but instead told him to go use those miracles for himself.

It felt good and he hoped it would help Tobho the way he thought it would.

* * *

He sees Tobho next a week later, when he goes to pick up his latest check. He wonders if the wish worked and doesn't see why it wouldn't have. His first wish worked and he was all set to start school in a couple of months.

He enters the diner and Tobho is sitting at the booth all the way towards the back, checking inventory and getting ready to open the diner for the day.

Gendry approaches him and smiles at Tobho, whose expression is unreadable and remains so the closer Gendry gets to him.

"Everything alright Tobho?"

Tobho eyes Gendry curiously before he clears his throat and gestures for Gendry to have a seat in the booth across from him.

"You wouldn't believe the call I received last week."

Gendry's eyebrows shot up, "What call?"

Tobho scrunches his face up, "Apparently, the diner belongs completely and totally to me now. Can you believe that? I don't have to pay their mortgage prices anymore because I own the diner now."

Gendry's face lights up, "That's amazing, Tobho!"

Tobho smiles, "Yeah it is, except I didn't buy the diner Gendry. So how does it belong to me now, hmm?"

Gendry looks at Tobho and he doesn't know why he's nervous. Maybe it was wrong of him to assume that Tobho would have been thrilled at Gendry using one of his last two wishes on him but he was only trying to honestly help the man who helped him out so much in life.

Gendry cleared his throat before he met Tobho's gaze, "I may have used a wish for you to own the diner."

Tobho's eyes widened and he let out a breath in disbelief, "Why Gendry? Those wishes are valuable, irreplacable, you can't just waste one on me."

Gendry narrowed his eyes, "I already wished for what I wanted to wish for, plus it wasn't a waste. Not to me. You've helped me out Tobho, I was paying it forward as best I could."

Tobho smiled and hesitated before he spoke, "Thank you Gendry. It means- I. Just- thank you."

"You're welcome. Besides, I don't think I can unwish for something."

Tobho rolls his eyes, "Yeah yeah, alright. That's enough out of you."

* * *

He'd kept up a rather decent flow of conversation with Arya when he decided to message her on a whim a few weeks later when he saw a few acorns on the sidewalk and snapped a pic to send her way.

It was nice, he thought. Talking with her didn't feel different or distant the way he thought it would over text. It felt very much the same, with her making jokes at his expense and him turning them back on her. Her warmth still shone through in text messages and for that, he thinks she has more magic than some golden token.

The more the weeks dwindle down, the more talking to Arya becomes a staple in his day to day routine and he wonders how they haven't yet seen each other yet if they both live in Kings Landing and he just keeps thinking all about how he wants to see her again, wants to hear her laugh or see her smile or listen to some crazy story about one of her siblings and anything really, he just wants to see her.

The more he got to know her and know all about how she used to be on the volleyball team when she was in high school, or how she can only sleep with noise in the background or how she loves pizza but absolutely hates tomatoes, the more he thinks about how she'd be a great friend to have in his real life too and he really, really wants that.

He'd left his house that morning with only his wallet and his keys in his pockets, phone in hand and earphones plugged in. Today seemed like any other day and he suspected his shift at the diner would go by the way they always do on a Thursday morning. 

He usually commutes by walking so he's completely in auto pilot while he's rounding the corner of the diner when his phone chimes and he looks down to see that Arya sent him a photo of her when she was younger with a white oak tree with red leaves from her home, Winterfell.

He smiles down at the photo as he keeps walking towards the entrance of the diner before muttering, "I wish I could see you again."

He feels the fluttering, the fizzling and the vibration in the back pocket of his jeans as he pulls the door open to the diner and he's not sure why until he realizes the weight of his words.

When he steps into the diner, his eyes widen with the certainty that he did, in fact, use his last wish because there sat in one of the booths of Tobho's diner, in all her grey sparkling glory, was Arya Stark.

She looked up at the chime of the bells above the entrance and smiled when her eyes landed on Gendry.

"Hey stranger! Long time no see."

Gendry walked forward and she nodded towards the seat in front of her, which he took, still momentarily stunned.

"Are you okay?" Her eyebrows were scrunched up with worry.

He nodded his head before shaking it and then shrugging his shoulders.

"Well what's the matter? Is me being here weird? I probably shouldn't have shown up uninvited. I was going to text you but decided I'd surprise you but that's probably weird and I-"

"I think I wished you here."

Arya stared at him, eyes a little wide before a small smile slowly turned into a large one plastered on her face.

"What?"

Gendry's cheeks turned pink as he stared at Arya sitting across from him, "I think I wished you here."

Arya shook her head, smile still on her face and she let out a light laugh, "How'd you do that then? Why'd you do it?"

"Well you just texted me and I said that I wished I could see you again, and lo and behold, here you are. I didn't mean to make that wish. I obviously meant it but I didn't mean to actually wish it is what I'm saying and-"

"Do you babble when you're nervous?" Arya cut him off, amused and he nodded sheepishly, "It's cute." She smiled.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," She paused to let him gather his wits and when it looked like he'd just about done that she kept talking, "I don't think I'm here cause of your wish though for what it's worth."

"Huh?"

She smiled at how stunned he seemed by everything that had occurred within the last ten minutes.

"I'm not here because of your wish-"

"But the token wished it, I felt it-"

"No I get that, but I'm here because I want to be. I've been wanting to see you since we parted ways in Acorn Hall, if I'm being honest."

It was her turn to blush and look sheepish and shy and he thought it was the sweetest thing he'd ever seen.

"Really?"

She nodded, "Really. But if I'm intruding-"

Gendry rolled his eyes, "What part of 'I wish I could see you again' don't you get?" 

Arya laughed, "Okay, okay. You never answered though."

"Answered what?"

"Why'd you wish it?"

Gendry looked at her and hoped she could see all honesty in blue, "I missed you."

Arya's eyes widened a bit and her lips parted slightly, "That's it?"

He nodded, "That's it."

* * *

Arya had stayed in the diner, sitting at the main counter talking off anyone's ear who would listen while Gendry worked and would pause when he could to sit by her, eat fries, talk a bit and just plain gaze at her.

It wasn't a bad wish, not at all. And he knows she's there completely of her own merit and not because of some words he said with a token on his person, but he thinks it's his best wish.

She stuck around and even helped Tobho in sorting out paperwork regarding his new ownership of his diner to make sure he got the math right and when his shift came to an end, they left side by side together.

The sun was dipping in between the buildings while the sky was painted orange and red and he thought it felt like breathing fresh air for the first time.

"I can't believe you wished you could see me again," Arya spoke, shaking her head lightly from side to side in disbelief, "You must really like to me to go through all that trouble then." She teased and he smiled down at her.

"I do." 

Arya's eyes widened as she looked up at him, "What?"

"I do like you." They felt like the truest words that ever left his mouth, even truer than his own name.

"You like me?" She asked, her voice dripping in awe and what he thinks sounds a bit like admiration.

"Of course I like you. I never got on so well with somebody before as fast as I got on with you. Arya, you're like an adventure. You laugh it's like everything good in the world is right there. You smile and it's so beautiful it's almost blinding. And you give me all these hot takes of yours, some of which I _might_ disagree with, but you're unwavering in sticking to them and staying true to what you believe in. If I didn't like you, I don't think the world would be on its axis."

He stopped walking when he didn't feel her beside him anymore and he turned around to see her rooted to the ground a few steps behind him.

He didn't know where all that courage came from, to tell her he actually liked her, but he's glad it's there because he had no more wishes to use for some confidence.

Arya stared at him, astonished by everything he just said to her before she walked forward to stand in front of him.

"I like you too."

A small grin tugged at the corner of Gendry's lips, "You do?"

Arya rolled her eyes and snorted and Gendry felt his heart flutter at both actions.

"You give that amazing speech about liking me and you find it hard to believe that I like you too?" 

Gendry laughed, "It just seems like something out of my wildest dreams is all."

Arya smiled at him, "Dreams, fairy tales, alternate universe, who cares? We like each other."

Arya grabbed his hand in hers and interlocked their fingers together. He smiled down at their hands.

"So where do we go from here?" She asked.

"A date, maybe?"

Arya smiled up at him.

"A date."

* * *

If somebody would have told him months ago that he would have three wishes of his very own to make, he would have laughed in their face. Even more so, if somebody would have come up to him with the slightest notion of magic he would have laughed in their face. 

There was absolutely no way magic had been real and it was what he had always believed even when he found the token. It was what he had believed even when he got off the phone with Wylla after having made his accommodations for Acorn Hall.

He only really started to believe in magic when he met Arya. When she threw a bag of graham crackers on his stomach because she thought he was hungry. When she decided to tag along on his wish making journey. When she stuck by him while he was absolutely shitting his pants about not knowing what to wish for and meeting Thoros and Beric and worrying about magic and all that came with it. When she took him to the giant oak tree and still spent the week with him in Acorn Hall, becoming the best friend he ever had.

But he thinks his belief in magic, even after having all his wishes granted, is entirely solidified with Arya absolutely beaming in front of him, completely drenched from head to toe after they both got caught in the rain in the middle of their walk in the park on their first date. 

It had started out amazing and it ended that way too. They had gone to dinner at a fancy restaurant where Arya insisted they only get free dessert, upon which he asked how it would be free which resulted in her dropping down on one knee to 'propose' and him saying yes and them getting a molten lava cake with vanilla ice cream and a good laugh on their way out.

They'd then gone for greasy pizza and arcade games by the piers in Kings Landing, the autumn air only providing a chillier wind than normal, which had then prompted him into draping his sweater over her shoulders and even though she rolled her eyes at the notion, he pretended not to notice her smiling into the sweater.

Their walk through the town then lead them to the park where they'd got caught in the storm that seemingly came out of nowhere, much like Arya did.

He thinks he believes in magic when her lips kiss his and it's like every good feeling he's ever felt rolled up into one.

He thinks he believes in magic when her hands work their way into his damp, unruly hair and tug at it while his arms slide around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

In the way he breathes her in and out, like the only air supply he'll ever need.

In how she smiles against his mouth when he squeezes her waist or when she bites down on his lip because she wants to know how he tastes.

Yeah. He thinks he believes in magic after all.

* * *

The fall and the winter both passed with ease and he thinks they were at their loveliest that he'd ever seen them. The spring was kind and summer too and he can't believe that its nearly been a year since everything happened. He was starting his classes soon and everything had truly been looking up for him ever since he found that token.

He gets home from a later shift and drops his things in all of their places all while he thinks on just how drastically his life changed over the course of an entire year. His mind mulls over every thought, every little detail that lead him to where he was now as he undresses and showers and readies himself for bed.

He'd gone from only working at the diner to save up for school, to now being able to completely afford it.

He'd helped Tobho keep the one thing he'd built on his own, the one thing he truly cared for and put all his efforts into.

He'd learned that Acorn Hall, at first glance, seems like a stop in between the end goal but it was an end goal entirely of its own, with people who cared about people, and sights unlike any others.

He had also gotten to meet the person who taught him that magic was real. Arya who was magic in every form it came in, from wearing flowers in her hair, to sitting in her towel on his bed long after she'd gotten out of the shower because she deep dived into memes again, to burning the pancakes in the morning.

School was just around the corner and he couldn't wait. He had everything he wanted and everything he didn't know he needed in his life.

And three wishes or not, he'd be damned if he was ever letting any of it go.

He and Arya had been together for close to 11 months and 5 months into their relationship, he had asked her to move in with him and she had been jumping up and down from excitement. 

To anybody else, it might have seemed too fast or a bit out of control but it wasn't about anybody else. It was about them. (And maybe a little bit about Jon because his roommate was now moving out, but he put that aside in exchange for being happy for his little sister.)

She'd always cheered him on from the moment they met and he knows it goes both ways. 

Being with Arya was one of the most amazing parts of life and it both amazes him and makes him thankful that he has her free of magic and that they are together because they both want to be together.

In the time that they've been together, he thinks she makes good on his description of calling her an adventure because of how much she takes him to see, whether it's there in Kings Landing, or a train ride away.

She loves taking him to Winterfell and he knows it's because of how red his cheeks get although she insists it's because of the blue in his eyes coming to life when the snow falls around him.

They even revisit Acorn Hall, twice by together, and once with Bran and Jon where they take the former to the oak tree Arya spoke so grandly to him about.

He loved that everyday, whether they were in a good mood or fighting over absolutely nothing, made him glad he was breathing and seeing and feeling everything he felt because of her.

Arya was the proof to him that not all magical things came in the form of a gold token. 

Sometimes the magic was Arya falling asleep on the couch while doing a crossword puzzle while he cooked spaghetti.

Sometimes the magic was the pair of them watching family feud together and shouting the same answers at the same time.

Sometimes the magic was him taking out her favorite fuzzy sweater he knows she hates to dry so that it doesn't shrink.

Sometimes the magic was when they were absolutely furious with one another before they both caved in because they missed each other too much to stay mad at each other for long.

He gets into bed beside her and when he lays down, she immediately turns over and curls into his side, tucking into him like that's how they were always meant to fit together. He kisses the top of her head and smiles when she sleepily smiles up at him and makes a sleepy noise at the sensation of his cheek resting on her head.

He had been wrong before a year ago when he'd first found the token.

He was a bastard, yes, but he wasn’t a fool.

He looks at Arya sleeping beside him, her face soft and painted beautifully, delicately by the moonlight flowing in through their window.

Maybe good things did happen to bastards. At least they did to him.

**Author's Note:**

> Fluff is my forte, I can't help it.
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed, especially PsychVamp :) 
> 
> peace and love,  
> ohnoshefell


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